A digital pet service that imitated a sweetheart or lover won users'hearts — then the company that ran it cut these simulated beloved from expressing affection.The free software movement has something to say about it, and theauthor of the article gets it: "You can never have a safeemotional interaction with a thing or a person that is controlled bysomeone else."Whether the author learned this from us, or thought of it on per own,it is good to see.At the same time, a simulated friend that is entirely under your owncontrol is not satisfactory, because whatever it says and doesis your own fantasy. It is like a puppet.